Display



Dec. 20, 1966 L, A, M R 3,292,287

DISPLAY Filed Aug. 24, 1964 INVENTOR LOUIS A. MA RN BYW W #M ATT'YSUnited States Patent nols Filed Aug. 24, 1964, Ser. No. 391,669 4Claims. (Cl. 40--77)- This invention relatesto a novel displayparticularly adapted to draw attention to :and illustrate objects inthree-dimensions. different types of products, it is highly desirable toprovide a display which is of the three-dimensional variety so that itmay be viewed from any side. Contrasted with displays of this type arethose which are visible from one side only, requiring the same to beplaced against a wall, counter or the like and thus, limiting theirapplication.

The present invention obviates this limitation of prior art devices byproviding a display which is visible from all sides, and further whichdraws attention to the display through presenting multiple images nomatter which side the display is viewed from. Means may be provided torotate the display if desired or it may remain stationary. The uniquedesign permits a wide range of applications and uses as will become moreapparent hereinafter. The salient features of the present invention willbe better comprehended upon a consideration of the objects to beachieved and a detailed description of a preferred embodiment whichfollows.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a new andimproved advertising display particularly adapted for viewing from allsides.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an advertisingdisplay which produces multiple images of a single object regardless ofthe position or angle from which the display is viewed therebypresenting an eyecatching effect.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a new and improveddisplay of simplified design capable of producing multiple images of anadvertising subject or object, and further wherein means may be providedto continuously rotate the display to cause the images to have theappearance of being in motion.

Further and fuller objects will become readily apparent when referenceis made to the accompanying drawirigs wherein:

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of the display of the presentinvention on a reduced scale;

FIG. 2 is an elevational view of the display with the base portion beingshown in section to illustrate the motor mounting; and

FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross sectional view of the wall section takenalong lines 33 of FIG. 2.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the display generally includes a base 11, ahousing 12 and a cover indicated generally at 13. As illustrated in FIG.1 the base 11 may be round or of any desired shape. Centrally of thebase 11 is an opening 14 adapted to receive a shaft 15 projecting from amotor and light assembly 16. A power cord 17 may extend through theshaft 15 to supply electrical energy to the motor and light assembly 16,providing power for the illumination of the lamps 18 and rotation of themotor 28.

The housing 12 is provided with marginal side walls 19 formed into arectangle and joined to a similarly shaped base 20 to provide a mountingportion for the motor and light assembly 16. At the upper edges of theside wall 19 is provided an object supporting surface 21 which may beformed of transparent plastic or the like. An object 22 which isillustrated as being of frustoconical shape is indicated in phantomlines. It is to be In designing displays for advertising ice understoodthat it may be any type of advertising subject or object normally thesubject of an advertising display such as a beverage bottle, jewelry, orthe like. It is contemplated that the object supporting surface 21 willbe sufiiciently opaque to obscure the motor and the light assembly 16,yet transparent enough to pass the, light generated by the lamps 18 toilluminate the interior of the cover 13 for purposes to become apparent.

The cover 13 is of polyhedral or pyramid shape being formed of a seriesof triangular shaped sides 23* joined together at the apexes and alongthe marginal edger. While the present design is illustrated as being afour-sided pyramid it is contemplated that it may be polyhedral toinclude any number of sides for reasons to become apparent hereinafterwhen the operation is described. Obviously, the entire cover may beformed in any suitablemanner, for example from a single sheet, or aplurality of sheets joined together. i

As is best seen in FIG. 3 the wall section 23 of the polyhedral cover 13is composed of a plurality of layers or laminationsl The .wall section23 includes first and second outer layers 24 and 25 of transparentplastic, glass or the like. The intermediate layer 26 is provided with athin semi-transparent coating of metal 27 thereon. In one embodiment,the intermediate layer 26 was composed of a clear plastic known as Mylarwith a coating of aluminum, vacuum deposited thereon to provide thedesired semi-transparent effect which is sometimes referred to as aone-way mirror. The outer layers 24 and 25 are provided to lend rigidityto the finished wall construction since the intermediate layer ismaintained quite thin for obvious reasons.

The motor and light assembly 16 is joined to the base 20 of the housing12 and moves therewith while the shaft 15 of the motor assembly 28serves to rotate the base 20 and housing 12 relative to the fixed orstationary base 11. As described above the marginal side walls 19 on thehousing 12 generally are opaque, however it is contemplated thattransparent openings may be provided in the sides thereof to illuminateindicia panels for advertising and/or identifying the object 22 which isdisplayed.

It is contemplated that the object 22 will be placed within the cover 13when the display units are assembled. Obviously, the cover 13 may bemade to snap on and oil if desired, particularly if the object 22 is tobe changed at frequent intervals as may be the case in someapplications.

In operation, the display may be placed at any desired location, forexample in a window, on a cash register, back bar, counter, or evensuspended from the ceiling. Prior to the lamps 18 being turned on, theexterior surface of the wall sections 23 on the cover 13 appear to be atrue mirror surface to the casual observer, assuming of course that thelevel of illumination outside the cover 13 is greater than that within.

When it is desired to display the object 22, the lamps 18 are turned onby completing the power supply circuit in the usual manner. At thistime, the object 22 beomes visible through the side wall 23 closest tothe ob server, while the side walls rearwardly of the object 22 act asmirrors to reflect multiple images of the object 22. Since the wallsections 23 of the cover 13 converge, a very stimulating andeye-catching effect is presented by the multpile images appearing in therearward walls, each of which diminish in size as they extend toward avanishing point. The object 22 is reflected off of all of interior wallsections 23 of the polyhedral cover 13 producing reflections ofreflections and presenting a stimulating effect. As pointed outpreviously, the display may be rotated if desired to cause the images toappear to be constantly in motion to the observer who ordinarily viewsthe display from a fixed location.

After a consideration of the foregoing it is obvious that control of thelevel of illumination in the interior of the cover 13 may be provided tocause the object 22 to appear and disappear as the lamps 18 are turnedon and off, or as the intensity is adjusted upward and downward. In mostcases wherein the motor unit is used to rotate the display, switchingcan be accomplished at various stages of the rotation through a knowntype of switch device causing the object 22 to appear and disappear.From the foregoing it will become obvious to those skilled in the artthat various modifications may be made without departing from theinventive concepts embodied herein. Therefore any limitations imposedare to be within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A display device particularly adapted for displaying an object inthree-dimensions including providing multiple reflections of the samecomprising in combination, a housing adapted to support a cover, saidhousing having an upper transparent object supporting surface adapted tosupport said object to he displayed, said upper transparent objectsupporting surface having marginal sidewalls extending downwardly, apolyhedral cover over said object and said upper object supportingtransparent surface, said cover being formed from material being eitherreflective or transparent depending 'on the level of illumination withinthe cover and means to illuminate the interior of said polyhedral coverthereby illuminating said object to provide multiple images reflectedoff the interior walls and visible exterionly of the display regardlessof the angle of viewing. I

2. The display device of claim 1 wherein means is provided to rotatesaid object supporting surface and said polyhedral cover.

3. A display device adapted for viewing from all sides comprising anobject supporting surface which is trans parent to illumination whilebeing sufliciently opaque to preclude viewing therethrough, an objectwhich is to be advertised supported on said surface, light source meansbelow said object, and a cover over said object, said cover being ofpolyhedral shape including a plurality of wall sections lying indifferent planes, each of said wall sections being transparent when theinterior level of illumination is above that on the side being viewedand providing a reflective surface i-nteriorly of said cover, whilebeing transparent externally thereof whereby multiple images of theobject displayed are visible from all sides of the cover.

4. The display device of claim 3 wherein means is provided to rotatesaid object supporting surface and said polyhedral cover to give theappearance of said images being in motion.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 718,496 1/1903Meagher 240-101 2,008,567 7/ 1935 Simonton 240l0.1 X 2,286,247 6/1942Yearta '2l9 X 2,565,079 8/1951 Kern 4077 X 3,247,609 4/ 1966 Hayes etal. 4077 FOREIGN PATENTS 371,370 4/1932 Great Britain.

EUGENE R. CAPOZIO, Primary Examiner.

H. F. ROSS, Assistant Examiner.

1. A DISPLAY DEVICE PARTICULARLY ADAPTED FOR DISPLAYING AN OBJECT INTHREE-DIMENSION INCLUDING PROVIDING MULTIPL REFLECTIONS OF THE SAMECOMPRISING IN COMBINATION, A HOUSING ADAPTED TO SUPPORT A COVER, SAIDHOUSING HAVING AN UPPER TRANSPARENT OBJECT SUPPORTING SURFACE ADAPTED TOSUPPORT SAID OBJECT TO BE DISPLAYED, SAID UPPER TRANSPARENT OBJECTSUPPORTING SURFACE HAVING MARGINAL SIDEWALLS EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY, APOLYHEDRAL COVER OVER SIDE OBJECT AND SAID UPPER OBJECT SUPPORTINGTRANSPARENT SURFACE, SAID COVER BEING FORMED FROM MATERIAL BEING EITHERREFLECTIVE OR TRANSPARENT DEPENDING ON THE LEVEL OF ILLUMINATION WITHTHE COVER AND MEANS TO ILLUMINATE THE INTERIOR OF SAID POLYHEDRAL COVERTHEREBY ILLUMINATING SAID OBJECT TO PROVIDE MULTIPLE IMAGES REFLECTEDOFF THE INTERIOR WALLS AND VISIBLE EXTERIORLY OF THE DISPLAY REGARDLESSOF THE ANGLE OF VIEWING.